Filing Insurance Claims Three Steps Your Adjuster Wants You To Follow BY MIKE SCHOFIELD
Insurance claims are a fact of life for anyone operating a business. Your carrier’s skilled claims professionals are standing by to assist you to navigate the process as efficiently as possible and achieve the best available outcome. But you have a role to play, too. Here are three steps your claims adjuster wants you to take.
T
he list of things that could result in a claim at your self-storage facility is
long and diverse. You already know the usual suspects: property damage, bodily injury, and lien sales. Having an experi- enced claims team on your side can go a long way toward resolving issues quick- ly, but they rely on you and your on-site staff to get the process moving.
Step 1. Document the scene. When a tenant or visitor complains of an injury, the priority is to deal with any medical emergencies. Once those have been addressed, documenting the occurrence in detail is at the top of the priority list.
Start by completing a detailed inci-
dent report that includes the person’s name, address, and phone number, as well as the names of any witnesses, an in-depth description of the circumstanc- es, and as much identifying information about the injured person as possible. Take photos to preserve a record of the scene as it was at the time of the accident. If the injured party agrees to being photographed, take those photos as well.
All injuries must be documented with
an incident report, witness statements, and photographs. Failing to complete a report because an injury appears minor could be a costly mistake if the injured party were to file an insurance claim or lawsuit.
As soon as you have completed the report, fax or email a copy to your
insurance agent or carrier. This gives them the option of conducting a preliminary investigation.
The three most
time-sensitive events are bodily injuries, property losses, and lawsuits.
In the case of property-only damage,
your first task is still to document the incident. Photograph the scene to record the extent and severity of the loss. Take detailed notes of your observations, conversations with witnesses, and phone conversations, and get contact infor- mation for everyone with whom you speak about the matter. If you need to make emergency, temporary repairs to prevent further damage or address safety concerns, keep a detailed record of your expenses and save your receipts.
Security cameras are an important
tool in a claims investigation. Review any video footage of the event as soon as possible. Some security systems record over old video periodically, so it is critical to capture any relevant footage before the video is lost. Make a copy of the video file, save it on a physical storage drive with a copy in the cloud, and forward it to your claims adjuster.
Step 2. Notify your agent or carrier. One of the single most detrimental actions a self-storage owner can take
regarding a claim is to wait too long to inform their insurance agent or carrier. Make notification as soon as possible after any event that could result in a claim or lawsuit.
The claim report should include the following:
• Self-storage business name, address, and phone number
• Name and phone number of the primary contact for the self-storage business
• Contact information for the insured and/or the insured’s representatives
• Insurance policy number • Date, time, and location of the loss • For property claims: a brief descrip- tion of the damage, including which buildings are damaged and specific addresses for each
• For liability claims: a brief description of the incident (customer injury, slip-and-fall incident, lien-sale incident, etc.)
• Names and phone numbers of witnesses (if applicable)
The three most time-sensitive events
are bodily injuries, property losses, and lawsuits. Delaying notification to your insurance agent or carrier can have a negative effect on the adjuster’s ability to investigate. In some cases, a delay can make it impossible to gather the neces- sary information. For example, if weather or environmental conditions may have played a factor, such as in a bodily injury from a fall on icy steps, delaying
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